1:42 p.m.: SPIEGEL ONLINE has learned that Obama has cancelled a planned short visit to the Rammstein and Landstuhl US military bases in the southwest German state of Rhineland-Palatinate. The visits were planned for Friday. "Barack Obama will not be coming to us," a spokesperson for the US military hospital in Landstuhl announced. "I don't know why." Shortly before the same spokeswoman had announced a planned visit by Obama.

You just don't cancel on the troops. You just don't.

You particular don't cancel on the troops, but go on with other events like the rally. He'll get tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands of Germans to chant his name? Terrific. Too bad he's not campaigning to represent them. Let him immigrate and run for Chancellor if he wants.

Earlier I blogged about Obama canceling a scheduled trip to meet troops stationed in Germany. The reason given was his campaign was paying for this part of his trip so it was somehow inappropriate to visit the troops. As I noted, he could have avoided turning it into a political event by ditching the press.

It turns out the reason he canceled might be because he couldn't bring any press.

One military official who was working on the Obama visit said because political candidates are prohibited from using military installations as campaign backdrops, Obama's representatives were told, "he could only bring two or three of his Senate staff member, no campaign officials or workers." In addition,

"Obama could not bring any media. Only military photographers would be permitted to record Obama's visit."

The official said "We didn't know why" the request to visit the wounded troops was withdrawn. "He (Obama) was more than welcome. We were all ready for him."

The idea that someone running for President might see American troops, including some wounded in battle, as nothing more than props is infuriating but about what one would expect from the left and its poster boy.

It's too bad Obama isn't going to meet these troops with the press in attendance. I'd like to see if he has the balls to tell them to their face they had nothing to do with the improvements in Iraq.